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G E Groblewski

Publications and source records attributed to G E Groblewski.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

CRHSP-28 regulates Ca(2+)-stimulated secretion in permeabilized acinar cells.

CRHSP-28 is a Ca(2+)-regulated heat-stable phosphoprotein, abundant in the apical cytoplasm of epithelial cells that are specialized in exocrine protein secretion. To define a functional role for the protein in pancreatic secretion, recombinant CRHSP-28 (rCRHSP-28) was introduced into streptolysin-O-permeabilized acinar cells, and amylase secretion in response to elevated Ca(2+) was determined. Secretion was enhanced markedly by rCRHSP-28 over a time course that closely corresponded with the loss of the native protein from the intracellular compartment. No effects of rCRHSP-28 were detected until approximately 50% of the native protein was lost from the cytosol. Secretion was enhanced by rCRHSP-28 over a physiological range of Ca(2+) concentrations with 2-3-fold increases in amylase release occurring in response to low micromolar levels of free Ca(2+). Further, rCRHSP-28 augmented secretion in a concentration-dependent manner with minimal and maximal effects occurring at 1 and 25 microg/ml, respectively. Covalent cross-linking experiments demonstrated that native CRHSP-28 was present in a 60-kDa complex in cytosolic fractions and in a high molecular mass complex in particulate fractions, consistent with the slow leak rate of the protein from streptolysin-O-permeabilized cells. Probing acinar lysates with rCRHSP-28 in a gel-overlay assay identified two CRHSP-28-binding proteins of 35 (pp35) and 70 kDa (pp70). Interestingly, preparation of lysates in the presence of 1 mm Ca(2+) resulted in a marked redistribution of both proteins from a cytosolic to a Triton X-100-insoluble fraction, suggesting a Ca(2+)-sensitive interaction of these proteins with the acinar cell cytoskeleton. In agreement with our previous study immunohistochemically localizing CRHSP-28 around secretory granules in acinar cells, gel-overlay analysis revealed pp70 copurified with acinar cell secretory granule membranes. These findings demonstrate an important cell physiological function for CRHSP-28 in the Ca(2+)-regulated secretory pathway of acinar cells.

Amylases↗

Targeted phosphorylation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors selectively inhibits localized Ca2+ release and shapes oscillatory Ca2+ signals.

The current study provides biochemical and functional evidence that the targeting of protein kinase A (PKA) to sites of localized Ca(2+) release confers rapid, specific phosphoregulation of Ca(2+) signaling in pancreatic acinar cells. Regulatory control of Ca(2+) release by PKA-dependent phosphorylation of inositol 1,4, 5-trisphosphate (InsP(3)) receptors was investigated by monitoring Ca(2+) dynamics in pancreatic acinar cells evoked by the flash photolysis of caged InsP(3) prior to and following PKA activation. Ca(2+) dynamics were imaged with high temporal resolution by digital imaging and electrophysiological methods. The whole cell patch clamp technique was used to introduce caged compounds and to record the activity of a Ca(2+)-activated Cl(-) current. Photolysis of low concentrations of caged InsP(3) evoked Cl(-) currents that were inhibited by treatment with dibutryl-cAMP or forskolin. In contrast, PKA activators had no significant inhibitory effect on the activation of Cl(-) current evoked by uncaging Ca(2+) or by the photolytic release of higher concentrations of InsP(3). Treatment with Rp-adenosine-3',5'-cyclic monophoshorothioate, a selective inhibitor of PKA, or with Ht31, a peptide known to disrupt the targeting of PKA, largely abolished forskolin-induced inhibition of Ca(2+) release. Further evidence for the targeting of PKA to the sites of Ca(2+) mobilization was revealed using immunocytochemical methods demonstrating that the R(IIbeta) subunit of PKA was localized to the apical regions of acinar cells and co-immunoprecipitated with the type III but not the type I or type II InsP(3) receptors. Finally, we demonstrate that the pattern of signaling evoked by acetylcholine can be converted to one that is more "CCK-like" by raising cAMP levels. Our data provide a simple mechanism by which distinct oscillatory Ca(2+) patterns can be shaped.

Animals↗

Agonist-dependent phosphorylation of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor: A possible mechanism for agonist-specific calcium oscillations in pancreatic acinar cells.

The properties of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)-dependent intracellular calcium oscillations in pancreatic acinar cells depend crucially on the agonist used to stimulate them. Acetylcholine or carbachol (CCh) cause high-frequency (10-12-s period) calcium oscillations that are superimposed on a raised baseline, while cholecystokinin (CCK) causes long-period (>100-s period) baseline spiking. We show that physiological concentrations of CCK induce rapid phosphorylation of the IP3 receptor, which is not true of physiological concentrations of CCh. Based on this and other experimental data, we construct a mathematical model of agonist-specific intracellular calcium oscillations in pancreatic acinar cells. Model simulations agree with previous experimental work on the rates of activation and inactivation of the IP3 receptor by calcium (DuFour, J.-F., I.M. Arias, and T.J. Turner. 1997. J. Biol. Chem. 272:2675-2681), and reproduce both short-period, raised baseline oscillations, and long-period baseline spiking. The steady state open probability curve of the model IP3 receptor is an increasing function of calcium concentration, as found for type-III IP3 receptors by Hagar et al. (Hagar, R.E., A.D. Burgstahler, M.H. Nathanson, and B.E. Ehrlich. 1998. Nature. 396:81-84). We use the model to predict the effect of the removal of external calcium, and this prediction is confirmed experimentally. We also predict that, for type-III IP3 receptors, the steady state open probability curve will shift to lower calcium concentrations as the background IP3 concentration increases. We conclude that the differences between CCh- and CCK-induced calcium oscillations in pancreatic acinar cells can be explained by two principal mechanisms: (a) CCK causes more phosphorylation of the IP3 receptor than does CCh, and the phosphorylated receptor cannot pass calcium current; and (b) the rate of calcium ATPase pumping and the rate of calcium influx from the outside the cell are greater in the presence of CCh than in the presence of CCK.

Acetylcholine↗

Immunolocalization of CRHSP28 in exocrine digestive glands and gastrointestinal tissues of the rat.

The 28-kDa (on SDS-PAGE) Ca2+-regulated heat stable protein (CRHSP28) was recently purified as novel phosphoprotein in exocrine pancreas, since it undergoes an immediate increase in serine phosphorylation when acini are stimulated with Ca2+-mobilizing agonists. Examination of CRHSP28 protein expression in rat revealed that most was highly expressed in pancreas and other morphologically related exocrine tissues, including the parotid, lacrimal, and submandibular glands. Immunofluorescence staining in pancreas indicated that CRHSP28 was specifically concentrated in zymogen granule-rich areas in the apical cytoplasm of acinar cells. Lack of colocalization with pancreatic lipase in dual immunofluorescence studies confirmed localization of CRHSP28 to the area immediately surrounding the granules. Western analysis of pancreatic zymogen granule membrane proteins indicated CRHSP28 was not associated with the granules following their purification. A similar pattern of apical cytoplasmic secretory granule staining was noted in lacrimal and submandibular glands. CRHSP28 protein was also expressed at relatively high levels in mucosal epithelial cells of the stomach and small intestine. CRHSP28 was found in the supranuclear apical cytoplasm of cells lining the small intestinal crypts, including Paneth cells, and was abundant in the cytoplasm of goblet cells. In the stomach, strong CRHSP28 staining was seen in mucus-secreting cells in the upper portion of the gastric glands and in the apical, granule-rich cytoplasm of chief cells located in the lower portions of the glands. Dual labeling with anti-H+-K+-ATPase demonstrated a comparatively lower expression of CRHSP28 in parietal cells. Collectively, the high relative expression of CRHSP28 in various secretory cell types within the digestive system, together with its intracellular localization surrounding the acinar cell secretory granules, strongly supports a role for CRHSP28 in Ca2+-mediated exocrine secretion.

Animals↗

A role for the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase/Hsp 27 pathway in cholecystokinin-induced changes in the actin cytoskeleton in rat pancreatic acini.

Cholecystokinin (CCK) and other pancreatic secretagogues have recently been shown to activate signaling kinase cascades in pancreatic acinar cells, leading to the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases and Jun N-terminal kinases. We now show the presence of a third kinase cascade activating p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase in isolated rat pancreatic acini. CCK and osmotic stress induced by sorbitol activated p38 MAP kinase within minutes; their effects were dose-dependent, with maximal activation of 2.8- and 4.4-fold, respectively. The effects of carbachol and bombesin on p38 MAP kinase activity were similar to those of CCK, whereas phorbol ester, epidermal growth factor, and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide stimulated p38 MAP kinase by 2-fold or less. Both CCK and sorbitol also increased the tyrosyl phosphorylation of p38 MAP kinase. Using the specific inhibitor of p38 MAP kinase, SB 203580, we found that p38 MAP kinase activity was required for MAP kinase-activated protein kinase-2 activation in pancreatic acini. SB 203580 reduced the level of basal phosphorylation and blocked the increased phosphorylation of Hsp 27 after stimulation with either CCK or sorbitol. CCK treatment induced an initial rapid decrease in total F-actin content of acini, followed by an increase after 40 min. Preincubation with SB 203580 significantly inhibited these changes in F-actin content. Staining of the actin cytoskeleton with rhodamine-conjugated phalloidin and analysis by confocal fluorescence microscopy showed disruption of the actin cytoskeleton after 10 and 40 min of CCK stimulation. Pretreatment with SB 203580 reduced these changes. These findings demonstrate that the activation of p38 MAP kinase is involved not only in response to stress, but also in physiological signaling by gastrointestinal hormones such as CCK, where activation of Gq-coupled receptors stimulates a cascade in which p38 MAP kinase activates MAP kinase-activated protein kinase-2, resulting in Hsp 27 phosphorylation. Activation of p38 MAP kinase, most likely through phosphorylation of Hsp 27, plays a role in the organization of the actin cytoskeleton in pancreatic acini.

Actins↗

Purification and characterization of a novel physiological substrate for calcineurin in mammalian cells.

Although the calcium/calmodulin-regulated protein phosphatase calcineurin has been shown to play a role in a number of intracellular processes, relatively few of the downstream phosphoproteins that are dephosphorylated by this enzyme in cells have been described. Calcineurin was previously shown to play a role in amylase secretion by rat pancreatic acinar cells and to specifically dephosphorylate a 24-kDa cytosolic protein. The present study describes the purification and characterization of this novel phosphoprotein, termed CRHSP-24 (calcium-regulated heat-stable protein with a molecular mass of 24 kDa). Microgram quantities of CRHSP-24 were purified from a large-scale rat pancreas preparation in a procedure involving heat and acid precipitation, anion-exchange chromatography, preparative electrophoresis, electroelution, and two-dimensional electrophoresis. Internal amino acid sequence was obtained from two peptides following trypsin digestion and high pressure liquid chromatography. Both sequences matched with 100% identity nucleotide sequences of expressed sequence tags from human placenta and rat PC-12 cells. Two CRHSP-24 transcripts of 0.7 and 2. 9 kilobases were detected in multiple rat tissues by Northern analysis, whereas a single 24-kDa protein was observed by Western blotting. The CRHSP-24 protein is 147 amino acids in length, is composed of nearly 14% proline, and is phosphorylated entirely on serine residues. Western analysis and 32P metabolic labeling of acini revealed CRHSP-24 to be maximally phosphorylated in control cells and to undergo a rapid sustained dephosphorylation on at least 3 serine residues in response to calcium-mobilizing stimuli. Dephosphorylation of CRHSP-24 was completely inhibited by pretreatment of acini with cyclosporin A or FK506. Furthermore, the inhibitory effects of FK506 were blocked by excess rapamycin. The ubiquitous expression of CRHSP-24 in rat tissues suggests that this novel calcineurin substrate plays a common role in calcium-mediated signal transduction.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Regulation of Munc-18/syntaxin 1A interaction by cyclin-dependent kinase 5 in nerve endings.

The Munc-18-syntaxin 1A complex has been postulated to act as a negative control on the regulated exocytotic process because its formation blocks the interaction of syntaxin with vesicle SNARE proteins. However, the formation of this complex is simultaneously essential for the final stages of secretion as evidenced by the necessity of Munc-18's homologues in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Sec1p), Drosophila (ROP), and Caenorhabditis elegans (Unc-18) for proper secretion in these organisms. As such, any event that regulates the interaction of these two proteins is important for the control of secretion. One candidate for such regulation is cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5), a member of the Cdc2 family of cell division cycle kinases that has recently been copurified with Munc-18 from rat brain. The present study shows that Cdk5 bound to its neural specific activator p35 not only binds to Munc-18 but utilizes it as a substrate for phosphorylation. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that Munc-18 that has been phosphorylated by Cdk5 has a significantly reduced affinity for syntaxin 1A. Finally, it is shown that Cdk5 can also bind to syntaxin 1A and that a complex of Cdk5, p35, Munc-18, and syntaxin 1A can be fashioned in the absence of ATP and promptly disassembled upon the addition of ATP. These results suggest a model in which p35-activated Cdk5 becomes localized to the Munc-18-syntaxin 1A complex by its affinity for both proteins so that it may phosphorylate Munc-18 and thus permit the positive interaction of syntaxin 1A with upstream protein effectors of the secretory mechanism.

Animals↗

Regulation of protein synthesis by cholecystokinin in rat pancreatic acini involves PHAS-I and the p70 S6 kinase pathway.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Cholecystokinin (CCK) stimulates protein synthesis in pancreatic acini at the translational level, although the signaling mechanisms involved remain uncharacterized. Two intermediates controlling translation are p70 S6 kinase and PHAS-I. We previously showed that CCK activates p70 S6K in pancreatic acini through phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3K). In the present study we investigated the role of PI 3K, p70 S6K, and PHAS-I in mediating CCK-stimulated protein synthesis. METHODS: Protein synthesis was measured by [35S]methionine incorporation into pancreatic protein using acini from rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes. p70 S6 K activity was measured. PHAS-I was identified by Western analysis. PHAS-I/eIF-4E association was measured as the amount of PHAS-I recovered after purification of translation factor eIF-4E by 7-methyl guanosine triphosphate-Sepharose. RESULTS: Rapamycin and PI 3K inhibitors, wortmannin and LY294002, blocked CCK-stimulated p70 S6K activity. Rapamycin inhibited basal protein synthesis and blocked the increase to all CCK concentrations. Wortmannin and LY294002 dose-dependently inhibited basal and CCK-stimulated protein synthesis and also blocked insulin-stimulated protein synthesis. CCK dose-dependently increased PHAS-I phosphorylation via a rapamycin- and LY294002-sensitive pathway and decreased the amount of PHAS-I associated with eIF-4E. Rapamycin and LY294002 eliminated this effect of CCK. CONCLUSIONS: CCK stimulation of protein synthesis in pancreatic acini is sensitive to rapamycin and PI 3K inhibitors and involves PHAS-I phosphorylation and its association with eIF-4E.

Androstadienes↗

Signaling pathways through which insulin regulates CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBPalpha) phosphorylation and gene expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Correlation with GLUT4 gene expression.

Treatment of 3T3-L1 adipocytes with insulin (IC50 approximately 200 pM insulin) or insulin-like growth factor-1 (IC50 approximately 200 pM IGF-1) stimulates dephosphorylation of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBPalpha), a transcription factor involved in preadipocyte differentiation. As assessed by immunoblot analysis of one- and two-dimensional PAGE, insulin appears to dephosphorylate one site within p30C/EBPalpha and an additional site within p42C/EBPalpha. Consistent with insulin causing dephosphorylation of C/EBPalpha through activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, addition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitors (e.g. wortmannin) blocks insulin-stimulated dephosphorylation of C/EBPalpha. In the absence of insulin, wortmannin or LY294002 enhance C/EBPalpha phosphorylation. Similarly, blocking the activity of FKBP-rapamycin-associated protein with rapamycin increases phosphorylation of C/EBPalpha in the absence of insulin. Dephosphorylation of C/EBPalpha by insulin is partially blocked by rapamycin, consistent with a model in which activation of FKBP-rapamycin-associated protein by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase results in dephosphorylation of C/EBPalpha. The dephosphorylation of C/EBPalpha by insulin, in conjunction with the insulin-dependent decline in C/EBPalpha mRNA and protein, has been hypothesized to play a role in repression of GLUT4 transcription by insulin. Consistent with this hypothesis, the decline of GLUT4 mRNA following exposure of adipocytes to insulin correlates with dephosphorylation of C/EBPalpha. However, the repression of C/EBPalpha mRNA and protein levels by insulin is blocked with an inhibitor of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway without blocking the repression of GLUT4 mRNA, thus dissociating the regulation of C/EBPalpha and GLUT4 mRNAs by insulin. A decline in C/EBPalpha mRNA and protein may not be required to suppress GLUT4 transcription because insulin also induces expression of the dominant-negative form of C/EBPbeta (liver inhibitory protein), which blocks transactivation by C/EBP transcription factors.

3T3 Cells↗

Cholecystokinin stimulates heat shock protein 27 phosphorylation in rat pancreas both in vivo and in vitro.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Mammalian heat shock protein 27 (hsp27) is believed to function under normal physiological conditions and during cellular stress. Recent studies indicate a role for hsp27 in regulating actin-cytoskeletal dynamics. In the present study, secretagogue-regulated phosphorylation of hsp27 in rat exocrine pancreas was investigated both in vivo and in isolated acinar cells. METHODS: Western analysis after two-dimensional electrophoresis was used to measure the phosphorylation of hsp27 after treatment of rats or acinar cells with secretagogues. Cholecystokinin-stimulated mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein (MAPKAP) kinase 2 activity was measured after immunoprecipitation of the kinase. RESULTS: hsp27 exists as three isoforms in acini: one nonphosphorylated (pI 6.2) and two phosphorylated (pIs 5.9 and 5.7) forms. Infusion of rats with a secretory or supermaximal dose of cerulein produced an acidic shift in hsp27, indicating an increase in its phosphorylation; the higher dose, known to cause pancreatitis, had a twofold greater effect. In isolated acini, increases in hsp27 phosphorylation were evident at 10 pmol/L and maximal at 1 nmol/L cholecystokinin. The hsp27-specific kinase MAPKAP kinase 2 was activated 2.4-fold with 1 nmol/L cholecystokinin treatment. CONCLUSIONS: hsp27 phosphorylation was stimulated by low and high concentrations of cholecystokinin, both in vivo and in vitro. Phosphorylation was potentially mediated via the MAPKAP kinase 2 intracellular signaling pathway.

Animals↗

p70s6k is activated by CCK in rat pancreatic acini.

The expression and activity of p70s6k-p85s6k in isolated rat pancreatic acini were revealed by Western blotting, immunoprecipitation, and kinase assay. Cholecystokinin (CCK) stimulation of p70s6k activity was biphasic, with an early phase maximum at 5 min and a late phase maximum at 60 min. The threshold concentration of CCK to increase p70s6k activity was 3 pM, and the maximal effect was seen at 1 nM CCK. Carbachol and bombesin, but not vasoactive intestinal peptide, also activated p70s6k. The protein kinase C (PKC) activator (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate), the calcium ionophore (ionomycin), and a derivative of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate induced only a slight increase in p70s6k activity. Rapamycin potently blocked both the basal and the CCK-stimulated p70s6k activity, and this inhibition was reversed by an excess of FK-506. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor, wortmannin, potently inhibited p70s6k activation by CCK, whereas the tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein had only a partial effect. Neither rapamycin nor wortmannin inhibited amylase release at concentrations that inhibited p70s6k activity. Thus the activation pathway of p70s6k by CCK is not mediated by PKC or mobilization of intracellular calcium but seems to be mediated by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. The effect of rapamycin to inhibit p70s6k activity is mediated by binding to the immunophyllin FK-506-binding protein of 12 kDa. The p70s6k is not involved in the secretion of digestive enzymes induced by CCK.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Cholecystokinin and EGF activate a MAPK cascade by different mechanisms in rat pancreatic acinar cells.

The effects of activating the Gq protein-coupled cholecystokinin (CCK) receptor on different proteins/signaling molecules in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade in pancreatic acinar cells were analyzed and compared with the effects of activating the tyrosine kinase-coupled epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor. Both EGF and CCK octapeptide rapidly increased the activity of the MAPKs [extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1 and ERK2], reaching a maximum within 2.5 min when 3.9- and 8.5-fold increases, respectively, were observed. The EGF-induced increase of MAPK activity was transient, with only a slight elevation after 30 min, whereas CCK-stimulated MAPK remained at a high level of activation to 60 min. The protein kinase C inhibitor GF-109203X abolished the activation by phorbol ester and inhibited the effect of CCK by 78% but had no effect on EGF-activated MAPK activity. EGF and CCK activated both forms of MAPK kinase (MEK), with CCK having a much larger effect, activating MEK1 by 6-fold and MEK2 by 10-fold, whereas EGF activated both MEKs by only 2-fold. Immunoblotting revealed three different forms of Raf in pancreatic acinar cells. Of the total basal Raf kinase activity, 3.7% was Raf-A, 89.0% was Raf-B, and 7.3% was c-Raf-1. All three forms of Raf were stimulated to a greater extent by CCK than by EGF, which was especially evident for Raf-A and c-Raf-1. The effect of CCK in activating Rafs was at least partially mimicked by stimulation with the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. EGF significantly increased GTP-bound Ras by 183 and 164% at 2.5 and 10 min, respectively; CCK and TPA had no measurable effect. Our study suggests that CCK and EGF activate the MAPK cascade by distinct mechanisms in pancreatic acinar cells.

Animals↗

CCK activates p90rsk in rat pancreatic acini through protein kinase C.

The presence of the 90-kDa ribosomal S6 protein kinase (p90(rsk)) in isolated rat pancreatic acini was demonstrated by Western blotting and immunoprecipitation with anti-p90(rsk). Cholecystokinin (CCK) activated p90(rsk) activity in a time- and dose-dependent manner and increased its phosphorylation. The threshold concentration of CCK was 10 pM and the maximal effect was seen at 1 nM. An increase in p90(rsk) was observed 1 min after 1 nM CCK stimulation, reaching a maximum at 10 min, when p90(rsk) activity was increased 5.4-fold. Carbachol and bombesin, but not vasoactive intestinal peptide, also activated p90(rsk). CCK-induced activation of p90(rsk) appears to be mediated by protein kinase C (PKC), since 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate increased p90(rsk) activity 5.3-fold. GF-109293X, a potent inhibitor of PKC, strongly inhibited CCK-evoked p90(rsk) activity. Treatment of acini with ionomycin or 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid had no effect, indicating that mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ by CCK is not important in p90(rsk) activation. Although there were some quantitative differences in the extent of inhibition, the specific inhibitors [rapamycin, wortmannin, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase inhibitor PD98059, and GF-109293X] had parallel effects on p90(rsk) and p42(mapk) activities, consistent with a model in which p90(rsk) can be regulated in acini by MAPK.

Animals↗

Purification and identification of a 28-kDa calcium-regulated heat-stable protein. A novel secretagogue-regulated phosphoprotein in exocrine pancreas.

This study reports the purification and identification of a novel 28 kDa phosphoprotein from rat pancreatic acini, previously described as being highly regulated by calcium mobilizing secretagogues, which we have designated calcium-regulated heat-stable protein 28 (CRHSP-28). Internal amino acid sequences of purified CRHSP-28 were obtained following trypsin digestion and found to match with >95% identity the predicted amino acid sequence of a novel cDNA recently identified as being highly expressed in human breast carcinomas. Verification that this cDNA codes for human CRHSP-28 was demonstrated by the ability of antiserum raised against purified rat CRHSP-28 to recognize the recombinant human protein when expressed in bacteria. Furthermore, this antibody was found to specifically react with CRHSP-28 in rat acini following one- and two-dimensional electrophoresis and underwent a marked acidic shift in mobility after cholecystokinin stimulation, a phenomenon indicative of an increase in its phosphorylation. CRHSP-28 is predicted to be extremely hydrophilic, is phosphorylated entirely on serine residues, and bears little homology to any known proteins. Finally, the distribution of the CRHSP-28 protein in various rat tissues revealed that although it was present at low levels in almost all tissues, it was most highly expressed in pancreas, followed by the gastric, intestinal, and colonic mucosa. In view of its relative abundance throughout the digestive system and its apparent regulation by calcium-mobilizing agents, this protein may provide valuable insight into the mechanism(s) of calcium signaling in these tissues.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Cholecystokinin stimulates the down-regulation of CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase in pancreatic acinar cells.

Stimulation of rat pancreatic acinar cells with cholecystokinin (CCK) is known to result in a significant inhibition of CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase (CT), a rate-limiting enzyme in phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis. Immunoprecipitation of CT from 32P-labeled acinar cells revealed that CCK treatment also caused a marked reduction in CT phosphate levels. The effects of CCK were maximal over 60 min and dependent on concentration, exhibiting an EC50 of 800 pM. Other calcium mobilizing secretagogues such as carbamylcholine (100 microM) and bombesin (10 nM) also reduced CT phosphate levels to 20 and 39% of control, respectively. Treatment of cells with thapsigargin and/or 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate established that a combination of increased intracellular Ca2+ and protein kinase C activation was necessary to decrease phosphorylated CT content. Conversely, secretin (10 nM) or 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-cAMP (100 microM) added alone had no effects. Use of the compound JMV-180 indicated CCK was acting through the low affinity state of the CCKA receptor to reduce CT phosphate levels. Further, the decrease in phosphorylated CT caused by CCK was blocked by the phosphatase inhibitors okadaic acid (3 microM) and calyculin A (100 nM). Finally, immunoblotting from whole cell lysates revealed CT was partially degraded in response to CCK, providing a novel mechanism by which the inhibition of CT enzyme activity occurs in response to the hormone. Moreover, this degradation was also blocked by a phosphatase inhibitor. These data suggest that the dephosphorylation of either CT itself or some other regulatory molecule(s) which mediates the CCK-induced protease activation may play a central role in reducing CT enzyme levels in acinar cells.

Animals↗

Cyclosporin A inhibits Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase and secretion in pancreatic acinar cells.

The immunosuppressant cyclosporin A (CsA) was utilized as a highly specific inhibitor of the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase, PP2B in rat pancreatic acinar cells. Treatment of cells with CsA for 20 min resulted in a concentration-dependent inhibition of PP2B that was maximal (> 90%) at 1 microM and exhibited an IC50 of 65 nM. CsA also inhibited cholecystokinin-, 100 pM, or carbamylcholine-, 10 microM, induced amylase release in a concentration-dependent manner. A maximal inhibition to 55% of stimulated control cells occurred at 1 microM CsA with half-maximal inhibition occurring at approximately 200 nM. Secretion in response to 1 microM 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) was uneffected by CsA treatment. Conversely, amylase release stimulated by the Ca2+ mobilizing agent, thapsigargin, when added alone at 2 microM or in combination with TPA, was inhibited by CsA to 66 and 61% of control cells, respectively. These data indicate that CsA-mediated inhibition occurs only when stimulation involves an increase in intracellular Ca2+. In addition, analogues of CsA, 6-methyl-alanine-CsA, and 11-methyl-leucine-CsA had no effect on PP2B activity or amylase secretion. The chemically distinct immunosuppressant, FK506, produced only partial inhibition of PP2B activity and did not significantly inhibit amylase secretion at concentrations up to 1 microM. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of proteins from 32P-labeled acinar cells revealed that CsA specifically blocked the cholecystokinin-stimulated dephosphorylation of a 24-kDa protein in a concentration range similar to that seen for inhibition of secretion. Using 32P-labeled cytosol and purified calcineurin, a Ca(2+)- and calmodulin-dependent dephosphorylation of the 24-kDa protein was also demonstrated in vitro. Collectively, these data indicate that the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase, PP2B, plays a significant role in stimulus-secretion coupling in pancreatic acinar cells.

Amino Acid Sequence↗